Community Financing of Renewable Energy Projects in the Age of Low and Negative Interest Rates in Austria and Switzerland

This contribution describes the current attitudes of potential investors towards community financing of renewable energy projects. Based on a representative survey of more than 2,000 respondents, conducted in Austria and in French- and German-speaking parts of Switzerland in 2015, the study identified four types of potential investors depending on their location (urban vs. rural) and social acceptance of wind energy.